Commenting on news of the planned closure of the Hartcliffe-based Hawkspring drug and alcohol service, Karin Smyth said: “Hawkspring was created following the merger of two Bristol charities, Hawks and Kwads, which together had 30 years’ experience delivering support to people affected by drugs and alcohol.

“First and foremost, this news is a devastating blow for the local communities that Hawskpring worked so hard to support. The work undertaken by this charity was invaluable, and the tragedy is that the need for its services has not gone away, and is not going to disappear any time soon.

“I have therefore written to the Mayor and Bristol’s Director of Public Health as those responsible for public health in the city, asking where and how individuals and families are now expected to go to receive the community-based drug and alcohol support they need.

“I fear that when the dust has settled on this sad announcement, we will reflect that this charity’s closure is further evidence of the failure of the government’s public health commissioning model to meet genuine community need.”

Bristol South MP Karin Smyth has reaffirmed her support for the ban on hunting with dogs.

Ahead of a Commons vote on Wednesday (15 July) the Labour MP confirmed she will firmly oppose any measures that are brought forward to weaken or repeal the Hunting Act.

Below you can read an article Karin Smyth wrote for the July edition of south Bristol magazine The Pigeon, which includes more of her thoughts about hunting.

At a time when many people are anxious about their finances, housing and employment, much of the contact I’ve received as a newly-elected MP has understandably come from constituents worried about their own personal situation. I’m working hard to help people right across south Bristol who need help.

Interestingly, wildlife and animal welfare issues have also figured prominently in my postbag and email inbox. That might raise an eyebrow, but residents’ concerns on these matters don’t surprise me at all. The way we treat animals is a reflection of the way we treat humans.

I’m proud that Labour governments of recent years put these issues high on the political agenda. The landmark Animal Welfare Act, for example, set new standards for the treatment of animals, introducing new duties of care for owners, and providing tough new sanctions for those who break the law.

In recent weeks many people have made contact having read about the prospect of the new Conservative government reversing legislation, introduced by Labour, that outlaws hunting with dogs. There’s been fierce opposition to any repeal of this ban. I welcomed the Hunting Act’s introduction and still support it. There is no place for the barbarity of hunting in a civilised society, so I will firmly oppose any measures that are brought forward to repeal it.

There have also been widespread concerns about the threat to bees, a vital part of our food chain, from neonicotinoid pesticides. Over two years ago the European Food Safety Authority reported three of these pesticides pose an unacceptable danger, recommending they shouldn’t be used on crops that attract bees. The coalition government refused to support a European ban, but thankfully Ministers were eventually forced into action by the EU Commission in December 2013.

Now there is renewed pressure from the National Farmers Union to allow these pesticides again, even though the government’s own Chief Scientific Adviser acknowledged they are highly toxic to many species of insects. I’m not an expert on these matters, but I believe Ministers should listen and heed the advice from people who are experts – their own specialist scientific advisors – and reject calls to allow mass use of these pesticides.

With my Bristol and London offices now established, and a programme of face-to-face constituency surgeries in operation, I’d urge you to get in touch if you feel I can help, whether with a confidential personal or family issue, or with a wider concern such as those outlined above. You can email karin.smyth.mp@parliament.uk or write to Karin Smyth MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

Prime Minister David Cameron tried to sidestep a challenge from Labour MP Karin Smyth to set out a timetable for the rollout of the government’s Universal Credit to her constituents.

Moments before the Budget statement was delivered by the Chancellor, containing new measures aimed at reforming welfare, the Bristol South MP used Prime Minister’s Questions to challenge the government’s competence over Universal Credit.

Watch: Scroll to bottom of page

She said: “My constituents in Bristol South are still waiting for Universal Credit to be rolled out to them. In fact they are still waiting for a timetable of planned rollout. We are about to hear about the latest stage of the government’s welfare reforms. When will he finish the last one?”

The Prime Minister failed to answer, but said: “I make absolutely no apology for taking Universal Credit at a deliberate pace. It’s quite right to do this at a deliberate pace, but I can promise her that Universal Credit will be coming to Bristol South soon.”

Universal Credit (UC) was designed to replace other benefits and simplify the benefits system, with a single monthly payment into a bank or building society account, by rolling together:

• Working Tax Credit

• Child Tax Credit

• Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Housing Benefit

• Income Support

• Employment & Support Allowance

Originally announced in 2010, its introduction has been plagued by delays.

“It is right to question the competence of the government following its much-delayed delivery on the Universal Credit pledge it made five years ago,” said Karin Smyth.

“The fanfare that heralded Universal Credit had barely faded before the government started getting into a muddle and a mess over its introduction. People living in south Bristol really deserve to have a timetable put on this because it will affect the lives and finances of many of them. The Prime Minister has not only failed to deliver, he failed to deliver an answer.”

“We are used to waiting for hours or even days for the true nature of Budget measures to emerge from scrutiny of the details. But first impressions are important: and this appears to be a Budget that will offer a few crumbs, but little long-term hope, to lower and middle income families in south Bristol.

“Having worked to manage people’s advance expectations of this Budget, the government is very keen to portray it as one that will ‘slow the pace’ of welfare cuts, as if to imply this is a kinder Budget than people feared. The truth is that many measures it contains will be painful to working families.

Productivity & wages

“Productivity has stagnated since 2007, unprecedented in the post-war period. Economic growth depends on productivity improving and yet despite over-optimistic forecasts, it remained stubbornly low under the Tory-led coalition government.

“Increased productivity is the key to getting the deficit down, and to raising wages and living standards which in turn will help bring down welfare bills.

“Businesses of all shapes and sizes across Bristol and the West country need support to boost their productivity. The cut in corporation tax should help businesses invest and create more jobs, but time will tell whether it leads to the sustainable jobs and higher wages that we need.

“It is right that, having viciously opposed the minimum wage when it was introduced by Labour in 1999, the Tory government has now embraced the principle, although rather than implementing a genuine Living Wage the Chancellor appears to be trying to redefine the Living Wage.

Apprenticeships levy

“South Bristol needs more high-skills apprenticeships and, whilst we await the detail, moves to introduce a levy on large businesses to help fund apprenticeships are welcome.

Inheritance Tax and Income Tax

“Raising the personal income tax allowance by £400 from next year gives crumbs to those on lower incomes whilst Inheritance Tax cuts heap feasts elsewhere. It got loud cheers from Tory MPs on the green benches, but cutting inheritance tax should not be a priority at this time.

Welfare

“As I pointed out to the Prime Minister moments before the Budget announcement, Bristol South residents are still waiting for the long-delayed rollout of the government’s last grand welfare reform plan, Universal Credit, so its future plans must be viewed with caution.

“By limiting some benefits to two children, the Chancellor wants to make children live in poverty as a punishment for being born into large families.

“The welfare announcements made need greater scrutiny, but it appears the Tory Chancellor is placing the heaviest burden on low-paid working people.

University maintenance grants

“Whilst there is evidence to show the introduction of tuition fees has not deterred young people from applying for university, I am deeply concerned about the plan to remove maintenance grants for students from lower income families.

“Of all 650 constituencies Bristol South sends the second lowest number of its young people to university. Whilst the reasons for this are complex, I fear this measure will snuff out the ambitions of many youngsters who aspire to go to university to work hard to earn a degree.

Devolution

“The Chancellor talked about ‘putting power into the ‘Northern Powerhouse’, but however hard you listened there was again not a word or nod in the direction of Bristol and the West Country. We need a Western Powerhouse.

Sunday trading

“Allowing shops to open for a few more hours on a Sunday looks like a headline-seeking distraction technique. It won’t tackle the productivity puzzle. It is answering a question the Budget wasn’t asked and didn’t need to address.”

“I well remember marching against Section 28, introduced by the Conservative government in the late 1980s.

“It’s a heartening reflection of changing times that the approach that law represented has been well and truly ditched, with our city now hosting one of the largest Pride events in the UK. Hats off to all those involved in organising it.”

Labour MP Karin Smyth has pledged to promote more autism awareness across her Bristol South constituency.

She heard testimonies at a Westminster event from people living with autism, a lifelong condition which affects some 3,000 people in Bristol South, and many more across the whole of the city.

“Negative public attitudes and misconceptions about autism can really harm families and individuals, limiting their opportunities,” she said. “I want to take every opportunity possible to actively promote more local awareness of the condition, and to improve access to public spaces, employment and services.”

“It’s also important that we help empower those who work with and support people who have autism.”

Earlier this year, a Bristol South resident, Jacky Wyatt, who teaches at Hillcrest Primary School, Totterdown, was honoured by the National Autistic Society with the prestigious national Award for Achievement by an Individual Education Professional.

President of the National Autistic Society, Jane Asher (pictured with Karin Smyth) added: “Awareness of the word autism has increased dramatically since I first became involved many years ago, but understanding of this complex condition is still desperately low.

“Parliamentarians have the power to make a real change in the lives of those with autism by helping us to spread understanding among their local communities.”

Karin Smyth took part in a House of Commons debate on ‘Operational Productivity in NHS Providers’, which also involved contributions from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and his Labour Shadow, Andrew Gwynne MP.

Amongst the issues raised by the Bristol South MP during the debate were:

• The need for political honesty about the scale of the cost-cutting challenges faced by the NHS
• The over-complex management structures that make accountability in the NHS unclear
• The need to forge a political consensus on the NHS to ensure the greatest possible efficiency and a focus on quality

A newly elected Bristol MP has secured a place on the Parliamentary Committee that oversees public spending.

Karin Smyth will serve as one of the Labour MPs on the Public Accounts Committee, a group of MPs that scrutinises government spending.

“I look forward to this important opportunity to hold the government to account over the way it spends taxpayers’ money, ensuring it is used wisely and efficiently and that people up and down the country get value for money,” she said.

“The Public Accounts Committee can play an important role in holding the government to account, and I intend to play a full part in doing so.”

The Public Accounts Committee is one of a number of Parliamentary Select Committees, comprising MPs of all parties. It is appointed by the House of Commons to examine “the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted to Parliament to meet the public expenditure, and of such other accounts laid before Parliament as the Committee may think fit” (Standing Order No 148).

In a new article for ProgressOnline, Karin Smyth says we can expect to lurch from one NHS crisis to another in the next five years. Focusing on health inequalities and accountability, she argues it is time for patients to be treated as partners, not nuisances.